The Celio REDFLY is billed as the Mobile Companion to your Windows Mobile device, but the death of the Palm Foleo, the REDFLY’s role as a true mobile computing client is questionable. Nevertheless, Mobility Today has had a chance to review the Celio REDFLY and came away impressed.
With no need to do any local processing or memory handling, the Celio REDFLY is good for a purported 8 hours of uptime, and will even charge that Windows Mobile handset of yours while you work. The main attraction of such a device is the ability to take full advantage of your high-powered WinMo handset’s features. The larger screen apparently brings to the forefront the Windows Mobile platform’s prowess as a true computing platform. The full QWERTY keyboard allows the user to work as they would on a traditional laptop.
The one thing that the Celio REDFLY does well is highlight the Windows Mobile platform’s competency. According to MT, the feel of using the REDFLY with an HTC TyTN II Kaiser (AT&T Tilt) is apparently quite close to that of a full-blown laptop. Imagine that, Windows Mobile actually feeling like Windows?
Mobile warriors might find it useful, but I doubt the Celio REDFLY will find a home in the mainstream. If I was going to carry around a notebook-like device, I would just carry my laptop. Of course, if future generations of these types of devices, which I like to call mobile computing clients, can achieve 12 hours or more of battery time, then I’ll start to seriously consider such a device.
[Via: Mobility Today]